Watch: Winter Weather Update mid-day
Colder Air continues to impact eastern South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — A powerful low pressure system continues to move north and east over the Deep South, and the Midlands of South Carolina is seeing its share of winter weather.
Significant cold air stemming from a high pressure system near the Great Lakes is forcing itself through the moisture moving through the southern United States, and that is leading to significant snow in the mid-Atlantic and freezing rain in northern South Carolina.
The National Weather Service in Columbia has extended the Freezing Rain Advisory for Newberry, Fairfield, Kershaw, and Lee counties through Saturday at 2 p.m. Ice accumulations can reach up to 0.2 inches.
An image of the ABC Columbia Interactive Radar on January 22, 2016 at 01:15 p.m.
Temperatures in the Midlands have been falling through the morning hours, with many locations north of Columbia seeing temperatures at or slightly below freezing. ABC Columbia Meteorologist Jonathan Kennedy has stated that because of the intricacies of the weather situation, a small difference in temperature can lead to whether rain or freezing rain will be observed. At this point, freezing rain concerns are mainly in Kershaw, Lee, and Sumter counties, where rain continues to fall. There have been reports of rain freezing on wires and power lines. The Pee Dee counties are also on watch as cold air has arrived in the area.
ABC Columbia Chief Meteorologist John Farley has stated that there might be a minimal chance of snow or flurries late Friday night into early Saturday morning, but by that point, most of the moisture will have lifted toward the northeast, and so there is little chance of any significant accumulation in the Midlands of South Carolina.
Make sure to tune in to ABC Columbia News at 6 and 11 as Chief Meteorologist John Farley continues following the weather developments. You can follow both John and Meteorologist Jonathan Kennedy on Twitter @FarleyWeather and @JKennedyWeather.
You can follow the latest with the ABC Columbia Interactive Radar by clicking here.
